August 26, 2009

the world traveller

The world traveller sat on a stump in a field of lavender, looking out over a narrow valley hemmed on one side by soft, rolling hills and on the other a dark forest. Beyond the hills there were more hills. There were mountains, trees, rivers, and a marvelous bramble patch of periwinkle berries. There were towns with schools and libraries and bus stations. There were paths and highways. After that came the sea.

The world traveller sat calmly on her stump, as if she could see it all.

A rabbit came along. It was a lovely evening, just the right amount of crisp, and she said as much to the world traveller.

The world traveller agreed, then added by way of introduction: "I am a world traveller."

The rabbit drew closer. "Dear me, isn't that exciting! Where have you been?," she asked.

The world traveller scrutinized her knitting for a moment. "I have been to this stump. And from this stump I can see the entire world."

The rabbit, who was just a country bunny, had never dreamed of anything beyond the field of lavender. "What is the entire world?," she asked.

The world traveller sighed. "Ever so many places," she said, "There's a place called Bhopal, for example."

The rabbit had never heard of Bhopal, and it made her exceedingly anxious. To calm her nerves, the world traveller offered the scarf she was knitting.

"You see? It is a topographical map of the Andes mountains," she explained kindly. And sure enough, it was! Knit, purl, knit two, purl. The replica was exact.

The little rabbit slipped on the scarf, suddenly feeling very cosmopolitan.

There was a moment of silence as the new friends enjoyed the evening together.

"Do you think...," ventured the rabbit shyly.

"Yes?," prompted the world traveller.

"Do you think I could be a world traveller like you?"

The world traveller paused to consider her stitchwork. The Andes mountains always gave her such fits!

"Why, certainly!," she replied, moving over to make room for two, "What better way to see the world than with someone you love?"

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the world traveller

The world traveller sat on a stump in a field of lavender, looking out over a narrow valley hemmed on one side by soft, rolling hills and on the other a dark forest. Beyond the hills there were more hills. There were mountains, trees, rivers, and a marvelous bramble patch of periwinkle berries. There were towns with schools and libraries and bus stations. There were paths and highways. After that came the sea.

The world traveller sat calmly on her stump, as if she could see it all.

A rabbit came along. It was a lovely evening, just the right amount of crisp, and she said as much to the world traveller.

The world traveller agreed, then added by way of introduction: "I am a world traveller."

The rabbit drew closer. "Dear me, isn't that exciting! Where have you been?," she asked.

The world traveller scrutinized her knitting for a moment. "I have been to this stump. And from this stump I can see the entire world."

The rabbit, who was just a country bunny, had never dreamed of anything beyond the field of lavender. "What is the entire world?," she asked.

The world traveller sighed. "Ever so many places," she said, "There's a place called Bhopal, for example."

The rabbit had never heard of Bhopal, and it made her exceedingly anxious. To calm her nerves, the world traveller offered the scarf she was knitting.

"You see? It is a topographical map of the Andes mountains," she explained kindly. And sure enough, it was! Knit, purl, knit two, purl. The replica was exact.

The little rabbit slipped on the scarf, suddenly feeling very cosmopolitan.

There was a moment of silence as the new friends enjoyed the evening together.

"Do you think...," ventured the rabbit shyly.

"Yes?," prompted the world traveller.

"Do you think I could be a world traveller like you?"

The world traveller paused to consider her stitchwork. The Andes mountains always gave her such fits!

"Why, certainly!," she replied, moving over to make room for two, "What better way to see the world than with someone you love?"